Santana: The same old story?

Leroy is the latest short clip from Roger Alexis, the master puppeteer who brought us I’m Santana The Movie. Leroy is a terribly rude six-year-old whose mother believes he's a saint. The action is straightforward and packed with social commentary. Mr. Alexis has an eye for the subtle. Stereotypes are here to stay. Mr. Alexis knows this. He has embraced them, and his characters aren’t shy.

At the beginning of the clip, Leroy's cigarette-smoking mother (who, by the way, doesn't wash underwear properly) sends him to the parlour for a half-pack [of cigarettes] and thus begins the young puppet’s adventures. He trots along, singing merrily, reaches the parlour, stands and stares at the Chinese shopkeeper who ignores him. A familiar and favourite face from the Santana movie comes in and places an order, skipping Leroy who isn't happy and rains obscenities on the Chine’e man.

At one point Leroy tells him, “I doh wa’ no dog meat y’u know!”

The shopkeeper eventually gives in to the bullying and sells the cigarettes to the underage boy. On his way home Leroy cusses Patsy and confirms that Narine hasn’t returned since leaving her in the movie. At Santana’s house, Leroy doesn’t only gape at Santana and Janice making love but comments on his prowess. Santana eventually catches Leroy. While he’s raining taps on the little boy, Mr. Maxwell, an old timer, who sounds as old and British as he looks (kudos to the voice actor who has the slow drawl spot on) intervenes on poor Leroy’s behalf, but to no avail for the little devil soon turns on him too. And another cuss-out starts. 

Mr. Maxwell follows Leroy home and complains to his mother. Leroy pretends he’s a saint. Marva blindly defends her son, proving that gone are the days where strangers could carry home news on children. Right? The clip ends with Mr. Maxwell and Marva slugging the choicest beeps at each other, and Leroy, the little devil, facing the camera sniggering at his role models.

I've been intrigued by Mr. Alexis's work since Thou Shall Not Horn where Santana walks inside and, sniffing the air, says "Janice, why this place smelling o’ sal’fish?" There was a spontaneity to the screenplay that worked well. From viewing The Fete and The Contemporary Sorcerer, there was no doubt about it: Mr. Alexis trusted his instincts and was more curious about filmmaking than story. The situations were real, light, local. This is what makes the franchise so successful. Caribbean people could relate. As the world expanded two things happened. Roger began paying more attention to story and delightful characters came to life. I like Pastor Stewart. When it comes to cussing he outshines Samuel L. Jackson, but much more than that, he’s a round character, perhaps better developed than Santana: the viewer has a sense of his ambitions, occupation, contradictions, vices, fears, family life.

But, for me, the quality faded as the clips came fast and furious. The characters’ impediments were always the same. And the solution was always the same: cuss, threaten or fight. When I saw Kizzy in the toilet, I had enough.

Then there was the movie. I almost fainted with delight when I saw Santana on a poster for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed it (For some strange-strange reason parts of the movie remind me of 4 Layer Cake with Daniel Craig). After, I caught up on the clips I had deliberately missed. I watched the movie again and enjoyed it twice as much, appreciating the second time around the contradictions with what characters said and actually did. For me, Mr. Alexis had redeemed himself. Today, it thrills me to think how far I'm Santana The Movie has reached and will reach.

Initially, I wanted to write a review for the movie but didn't. For one, I’d never written a movie review and didn’t think I could do justice to the marvel. Secondly I was more concerned with what would follow: the short clips, the sequel.

When I'm playing pool I don't focus on the current shot. I think about the next shot because that determines if I get to play again. Leroy is a shot that follows I’m Santana The Movie. The clips to come may tell us a lot about the direction Mr. Alexis plans to take the next movie. As a no-nonsense man with a flair for action, Santana played a crucial role in Leroy. Although he only featured briefly he remains a coarse hero.

Although we've seen new characters (Marva and Mr. Maxwell) and more of old characters, the impediments they face and their responses are more or less the same, and has been for awhile. Marva could very well be Pastor Stewart. Eventually the cussing will get old. If this trend continues for the next five years, we'll see the same story through a hundred different puppets. As is, the cuss-out segments are so elaborate and so extended they overshadow the moral messages.